The Young Bond Dossier is going OFFLINE

My first James Bond website The Young Bond Dossier will be going offline sometime in the coming week as I've decided to not renew the URL for another year.

Launched in 2006, The Young Bond Dossier is where I covered the Young Bond series with news, interviews, and event reports. In 2007 it became the official news feed to youngbond.com. I stopped updating the site in 2011 as the adult James Bond books came back into the fore, and integrated young and old Bond book coverage here at The Book Bond.

While I've migrated select past news stories here, there are galleries that contain variant and international Young Bond covers and event photos that will vanish along with the site. So here's your notice to snatch what you like before it all goes the way of the Wayback Machine!

And while on the topic of my websites, while I will continues to update The Book Bond with news of upcoming releases and IFP projects, I spend most of my time these days at my Houdini blog WILD ABOUT HARRY. So if you have any curiosity about the Handcuff King, have a visit! Oh, and I also have a little Sherlock Holmes blog called The Battered Tin.

UPDATE: It appears the site is already offline. I thought I was in a grace period. Well, that's all folks!

The Book Bond now supports HTTPS

Hey everyone. Just letting you know that The Book Bond now supports a https connection. Simply put, https is encrypted and therefore more secure than http. (You can read more here.) So if your browser has been giving you a warning that the site is non-secure, that will now go away.

While you can continue to connect via http (old links will automatically redirect), I would encourage you to switch your bookmarked URLs to:

https://www.thebookbond.com

A HARD MAN TO KILL on new Ian Fleming website

Ian Fleming Publications has launched a completely redesigned website today. Browsing the new site offerings, I spotted what appears to be an upcoming eBook edition of Charlie Higson's Young Bond short story, A Hard Man To Kill.

A Hard Man To Kill was first published in 2009 as part of the book Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier. The story is set between the books Hurricane Gold and By Royal Command and takes place aboard an ocean liner. It's an excellent story that also sees the return of Wilder Lawless from SilverFin. This marks its first availability in a solo edition.

While A Hard Man To Kill is listed in the new Ian Fleming website shop, the "Buy Now" link doesn't yet work, so consider this one a preview.

Check out the new Ian Fleming website at www.ianfleming.com. You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook.

ANTHONY HOROWITZ launches new official website

Bond author Anthony Horowitz has launched a newly redesigned official website. Here you'll be able to keep up with the author's Trigger Mortis event appearances and whatnot. The site also has fourms. Anthony writes:

So welcome to my new website!

The whole idea is to help keep me in touch with my audience…and, of course, vice versa. Whenever I’m out doing talks or signings, my movements will be posted here. If there's any news, I’ll try to make sure it appears on this site first.

Publication day for my new James Bond novel, TRIGGER MORTIS is on September 8th and I have that to look forward to. I’ll be on tour in the UK and then in America and Canada. There are two or three literary festivals penciled.

Visit the new site at: www.anthonyhorowitz.com. The author is also very active on Twitter @AnthonyHorowitz.

007 TRAVELERS track down the Book Bond

One of my new favorite James Bond destinations on the web is 007 TRAVELERS. Not only have they been providing up-to-the-minute SPECTRE coverage, but Pirita and Mika also travel around the world searching for 007 locations from both the books and films. The Finnish couple seem to have a special affinity for John Gardner locales, and that's fine by me! Today they've landed at Bond's Berlin hotel room in the Kempinski Hotel Bristol from Death Is Forever.

007travelers.blogspot.fi

In the past, Pirita and Mika have tracked down Paula Vacker's apartment in Helsinki from Icebreaker, the Strada Cucina Italiana Restaurant from For Special Services, and even the various locales inside Disneyland Paris where Bond had his adventures in Never Send Flowers.

Click here for a full list of 007 TRAVELERS book locations.

Keep up the great work Pirita and Mika!

New official YOUNG BOND website launched

In anticipation of Steve Cole's first Young Bond novel, Shoot To Kill, the official Young Bond website as received a complete makeover. Check it out at www.youngbond.com.

In Shoot To Kill, Steve Cole picks up where Charlie Higson left off and throws James Bond into action in Hollywood, CA. It will be released on November 6, 2014 in the UK.

Pre-order Shoot To Kill on Amazon.co.uk.

Official YOUNG BOND website gets a makeover

In anticipation of Steve Cole's first Young Bond novel due out November 6, 2014, the official Young Bond website at www.youngbond.com has received a makeover. The site now features the new Young Bond logo and links to the latest printings of all the books. It's also teases that "we'll be revealing the cover and title very soon," so you might want to go and sign-up for the new Young Bond newsletter now.

www.youngbond.com

In his first Young Bond book, Steve Cole picks up where Charlie Higson left off and throws James Bond into action in Hollywood, CA.

Pre-order Untitled Young Bond by Steve Cole on Amazon.co.uk.

THE NEW MISSION

Ian Fleming Publications has announced Sept. 26, 2013 as the UK release date of the new James Bond novel by William Boyd and have launched the official website. Here is the full press release:

James Bond: The New Mission 26.9.13

Publication date of William Boyd’s Bond book announced

www.jamesbondthenewmission.co.uk

The new James Bond continuation novel by international bestseller William Boyd will be published on Thursday 26 September 2013, it is announced today. The book, as yet untitled, is one of the most eagerly anticipated publications of the year and will be published in the UK by Jonathan Cape – Ian Fleming’s original publisher and an imprint of Vintage Publishing. 

The build-up begins with the launch of a website – www.jamesbondthenewmission.co.uk – dedicated to the new book, where fans can register to hear the latest news about the book as it’s released. The publication date is revealed on the same day that Skyfall is released on DVD in the UK. 

The name and plot of the book remain a closely guarded secret, but it is confirmed that the story will take place in 1969, featuring a slightly older 007 at the age of 45. Boyd’s book will make a return to ‘classic Bond’, as Sebastian Faulks did with Devil May Care in 2008. 

The new book will be published at the same time internationally, with HarperCollins publishing in Canada and the U.S. 

2013 is an exciting year for Bond publishing, as 13 April marks the 60th anniversary of Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale. To celebrate, Random House will be releasing new editions of Fleming’s non-fiction books Thrilling Cities and The Diamond Smugglers in the UK on this date.

Thanks as always to IFP and Four Coleman Getty. 

IFP revamps their official IAN FLEMING website

Ian Fleming Publications has redesigned their official website, and it looks terrific! The URL remains the same, so go have browse at www.ianfleming.com.

www.ianfleming.com

The Book Bond BIBLIOGRAPHY

Just a quick update to let you know I've whipped up a basic Bibliography of the James Bond books and short stories. I haven't (yet) included the more ephemeral books and graphic novels, but all the major titles are here. Hope this can be of service as a quick reference.

The Book Bond BIBLIOGRAPHY

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Here's wishing all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

CHITTY UK website takes flight & U.S. edition revealed

The official website for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce is now live at http://uk.chittyfliesagain.com.

The book is a sequel to the classic Ian Fleming children's novel, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car, first published in 1964.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again is the first of three Chitty new books by Boyce. It will be published in hardback and ebook on October 7, 2011, by Macmillan Children’s Books in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth, excluding Canada, and can be pre-ordered now on Amazon.co.uk.

In other Chitty news, looks like the book will be published in the U.S. by Candlewick on March 13, 2012. Below is the cover art. It can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

U.S. edition

This weekend...

This weekend I'm going to offer a look back at James Bond The Authorized Biography of 007 by John Pearson. This will be a slightly updated version of an article I first published on CBn in 2004. I like to call this least-known James Bond continuation novel, THE BEST BOND NOVEL YOU'VE NEVER READ.

Watch for it this weekend on The Book Bond.

THE BOOK BOND REVIEWS

Over the past few weeks I've been gathering the various reviews I've written over the years from my old Young Bond website, CBn, and Amazon, and relocating them here under a common tag: BOOK BOND REVIEW.

So if you'd like to revisit reviews of the Young Bond novels, a Moneypenny Diary, a few Benson titles, and even my review of the film Casino Royale (it was a book adaptation, afterall), just click on the BOOK BOND REVEW tag and enjoy.

CARTE BLANCHE U.S. website launched

Simon & Schuster have launched an official website for the U.S. edition of Carte Blanche. U.S. readers will get the book on June 14, 2011.

Visit the U.S. Carte Blanche website

Closing The Young Bond Dossier

YBD ad art by Evan Willnow

With the release of the two SilverFin special editions and the By Royal Command U.S. paperback, I've decided to cease updating my other website, The Young Bond Dossier. From now on all James Bond news, young and old, will be reported here on The Book Bond.

I started YBD in 2006 after the release of Charlie Higson's second Young Bond novel, Blood Fever, a book I still consider to be the best James Bond continuation novel yet written. Over the course of six years I've has a blast reporting (obsessively) every last detail of this groundbreaking series. Along the way I landed some terrific scoops, and had the pleasure of conducting several exclusive interviews with author Charlie Higson.

The high point came in 2008 when I went to London for the Devil May Care launch and paperback release of Hurricane Gold. It was during this trip that YBD became the official news source for Puffin's own Young Bond website, and also the news feed for the official Ian Fleming Publications website (a real honor!). Best of all, YDB allowed me to get to know Charlie Higson personally, as well as all the good people at IFP, Coleman-Getty, Puffin Books, and Disney-Hyperion.

Whether or not there are going to be more Young Bond novels...I have no idea. But it's clear there just isn't enough happening in the world of Young Bond to justify a dedicated website. Also, the iWeb software I used to create the site back in '06 has not been updated in years and has grown creaky and problematic. So I figured this was a good time to fold things up. Even if we should get news of a Young Bond Series 2 (still my hope!), it will be covered here instead of YBD. So with that I leave you with an optimistic...

YOUNG BOND WILL RETURN

With Charlie Higson in San Francisco for the U.S. release of Blood Fever

Official CARTE BLANCHE Facebook page launched

UK publisher Hodder & Stoughton has launched an official Carte Blanche Facebook page where, among other things, you will find the daily cryptic clues that are a part of the big Carte Blanche competition announced over the weekend.

You'll also find details about a second exciting competition, "UK Mission", on the new page.

Carte Blanche by Jeffrey Deaver is released in UK in just 18 days. It's getting closer!

How about a little feedback?

Hello out there in the dark. Don't be shy. How about giving us a little feedback via our oh-so easy-to-use comments feature? I've switched off all the restrictions so you don't need to provide an email address or name, I've even turned off word verification (I can never make those darn things out anyway). At least lay a check mark in one of those little boxes below our stories and let me know if you like what I've posted...or not. Hey, it's possible the bigwigs might even see your pearls of wisdom.

Thanks.

Get your BOND news on the go

I've now optimized The Book Bond for mobile devices. Now you can get your Bond news on the go with a clean, fast, easy interface. You don't need to do anything special, just enter our normal URL, thebookbond.com, and what comes up will look like what you see on the left.

Also don't forget about our new Updates by email feature. And don't forget that we are also on Facebook and Twitter.

It's shaping up to be a big year for the literary James Bond. With these new features you'll never miss out!

Get the latest Book Bond news via email

Now you can keep up with all the latest James Bond literary news from The Book Bond via email. This is a new Blogger feature. Just scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and enter your email address in the field marked "Receive updates by Email." You'll receive a confirmation email. Click the link and you're all set.

You will then receive a daily email notification of the new published posts, which includes a copy of the new content as well as links back to the actual posts. You can opt out anytime by clicking the "unsubscribe" button at the bottom of the email. I've given it a test drive and it works pretty darn well!

So if you can't find time to make it to this site, no worries. We'll bring Bond to you.